


mercy killing

by terrifier



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Ben Hargreeves' Tentacles | Bentacles, Brothers, Gen, Murder, Post-Canon, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21811996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terrifier/pseuds/terrifier
Summary: First attempt at the bad things happen bingoFandom: The Umbrella Academy (TV series)Prompt: "Mercy Killing"
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571698
Comments: 9
Kudos: 45





	mercy killing

**Author's Note:**

> First attempt at the bad things happen bingo
> 
> Fandom: The Umbrella Academy (TV series)
> 
> Prompt: "Mercy Killing"

Tears ran effortlessly down Klaus' cheeks as he sat flush up against the desk in the building. This was it. He knew it. Ben had to die. It had happened in the previous timeline, it had to happen now. It had to happen otherwise they wouldn't be able to stop the apocalypse.

But... 

He didn't want Ben to die. It was selfish, he knew it. Ben had already come to terms with what had to happen, had said so on the way over, and the sincerity in his eyes was unmistakable. He, and seemingly the rest of Klaus' siblings, had accepted it. They'd all said their goodbyes, Klaus included, even if it was bitter and foreign on his tongue, and had accepted what was to come on this mission.

Ben was being torn apart from the inside by the Horrors, the sounds from a few feet away torturous and haunting, yet Klaus didn't want him to die. He eas probably the worst sibling in the world, wanting his brother to live despite his fate, but he couldn't help it. He and Ben had spent over a decade tethered to one another, had been through some seriously fucked up shit just so Klaus would survive, so forgive him for wanting his brother to live now that he knew what was about to happen.

"Klaus!"

Before Klaus could even begin to think of some way to save Ben, he heard his name called by the object of his inner turmoil. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the sound. He just needed a few more seconds to think of a plan and he could prevent Ben's death. Just a few more seconds. 

"Klaus, please!"

The sound of Ben's desperate pleas wore him down and he opened his eyes, the tears returning in full force. He steeled himself, taking a few deep breaths and then peered around the corner of the desk.

Ben was in the centre of the room, facing in Klaus' direction, yet barely visible around the tentacles raging from his stomach, flying around recklessly and destroying anything the touched.

From the glimpses Klaus caught of his brother's face, it was clear Ben was in pure agony.

"Yeah?" Klaus asked, but his voice cracked and it couldn't be heard over the screeching of the Horror's and Ben's cries, so he cleared his throat and tried again, louder. "Yeah?"

Ben opened his eyes and faced him. Klaus resisted the urge to look away and cry. 

"Please, Klaus," Ben sobbed, "I can't take it anymore. Please. Just.... Just kill me."

Klaus' heart almost stopped in his chest. He was sure his face must've drained of colour because he felt lightheaded all of a sudden.

"No! I'm not going to kill you, man!" Klaus refused.

"Please!" Ben shouted. "Please, I'm begging you, Klaus! They're tearing me apart- I can't take it anymore."

"I can't! I won't!" Klaus shook his head.

"Klaus! You're my brother! They're killing me, I'm asking you, please just- please, kill me."

Something in the way Ben asked him, sobbed the question around pained whimpers, left Klaus without words. He didn't want Ben to die. He didn't want to kill him. But he couldn't watch him suffer anymore. And Ben was asking him - begging him - to do it.

Ben must've taken his silence as an agreement because when Klaus didn't reply, he continued.

"I think I saw- saw a gun," he grit out, and Klaus watched as he fought against the Horrors trying to pull him in a new direction (or escape his chest), "over there."

Klaus looked over to where was looking and sure enough, there was a pistol, lying abandoned on the marble floor.

"Be careful," Ben warned.

With a nod that felt too detached to be real, Klaus crawled over to the weapon in the ground, praying all the way that the Horror wouldn't turn its attention to him. 

By the time he reached the gun and grabbed it, the Horror was still oblivious to his movement, preferring instead to bring destruction upon the room as Ben still tried to control them despite the fact that he was a bleeding, dying mess.

Klaus held the gun in shaky hands and swallowed, trying to bring moisture to his suddenly dry mouth. It didn't work, so he pursed his lips and focused on making sure the gun was loaded. 

When he was sure there were bullets in there, he took the safety off and held the gun out in front of him, aimed directly at his brother's head.

Though Ben could now see him clearly from his new location where he'd picked up the gun, he didn't say a word.

He looked grateful. 

"I'm sorry, bro," Klaus blinked tears away, trying to clear his vision, "I'll make it quick. I promise."

Ben nodded, clearly in too much pain to speak anymore. 

"See you on the other side, huh? I love you, man."

He pressed the trigger. 


End file.
